I think wine descriptions or tasting notes are pretty well worthless, but if you wish to learn about wine, writing a tasting note will help you focus and bring discipline to your drinking and will assist in building and retaining the impression in the memory bank.

I welcomed visitors with a Heemskerk Coal River Valley Tasmania Chardonnay Pinot 2007 12% which was light and refreshing but did little to grab my attention. Perhaps I was too busy saying hello to concentrate on the wine? I worry about wines in novelty bottles as while making the product distinctive they seem to turn consumers away. Perhaps Heemskerk should use a standard bottle which would be cheaper and concentrate on wine making. I notice the address on the back label is 131 Cascade Road, South Hobart; so welcome neighbour as I spent my early childhood at 129 Cascade Road, though I was a milk drinker back then.

The Gallagher Canberra Riesling 2012 11% (Murrumbateman, NSW) is an exemplary example of cool climate winemaking as produced from vineyards, I guess, at 550 to 600 metres. Canberra wineries are booming with the last count at well over 30 and it helps that the locals are wealthy. I arrived in 1974 and by then the first vineyards were growing well.

So back to where I now live the Barossa Valley and out came a Greenock Creek Cornerstone Barossa Valley Grenache 2009 14% which I found enjoyable, though I know this variety well and was wanting more, though other drinkers said I was far too tough.

And while I have never lived in the Clare I recently took guests to Clare and we briefly stopped at Wendouree, just south of the township and was struck by how deep and fertile the vineyard soils were. Later a Wendouree Clare Valley Malbec 2005 13.4% was wonderful indicating that this is another variety which needs more popularity and also shows the genius of the vineyard selection back I guess in 1895 when this firm was established.

And coming right down to size, I had stopped for the night at Hay while driving over the Hay Plains, and needing a glass of red ordered the Penfolds Rawsons Retreat Shiraz Cabernet 2007 187ml 13.5% and found it delicious. A lot of effort has gone into this wine and I do not belong to the school that guffaws at cheap wines. I was surprised by the vintage but over the years have done great business clearing stocks of 375ml wines with age, the result of large companies mis-judging the projected sales.

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